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Pathways to CEO

This Month

CEO of the Central Coast Marriners, Alyssar Narey.

This woman made history when she took over her local A-League club

Alyssar Narey, one of just two women to run a football club in Australia, lays bare the reality of the family juggle, women in sport and the one thing she can’t survive without.

  • Zoe Samios

February

Michelle Gass

CEO succession needs a shake-up

It’s the most important job corporate boards have, and all too often they fail miserably.

  • Beth Kowitt

November 2023

Francis deSouza told analysts the drama was only affecting “a very small part of the company”. He resigned two months later.

Investors use AI to find out what executives really think

Funds already use algorithms to trawl through earnings calls transcripts to glean signals from executives’ choice of words. Now they are trying to find further messages.

  • Nicholas Megaw

April 2023

Susan van der Merwe is one of the few female CEOs leading ASX200 companies.

Where are the women? Directors pressed to boost female CEOs

Gender diversity around the board table is being held back by the dearth of female chief executives, prompting calls for directors to ensure more women rise to the top.

  • Sally Patten

January 2022

ANZ readying for change at the top in 2022

ANZ chairman Paul O’Sullivan may decide later this year who will receive the leadership baton from Shayne Elliott, who has set the bank up for success.

  • Ayesha de Kretser
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November 2021

Catherine Anderson’s CCO skills prepared her well for a stint as acting chief executive.

Why chief customer officers are next in line for the CEO job

Tech-savvy executives trained to hit revenue targets and keep customers happy are emerging as the top candidates to fill CEO vacancies.

  • Tess Bennett

September 2021

Melbourne boy, Collingwood supporter and Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman pictured in his 40th-floor New York office overlooking Times Square.

The odd quirks that make CEOs tick

One of the enduring legacies of AFR BOSS has been to delve into the personal lives of CEOs to better understand the people behind the business and the strategies.

  • Patrick Durkin and Sally Patten

June 2021

Television presenter David Koch, wearing glasses, and son AJ Koch with his sisters Georgie and Brie at a basketball game in 2017.

There’s nothing like a CEO humblebragger

The head of the ABS and David Koch’s son are among those who deflect credit for altruism while drawing attention to it.

  • Aaron Patrick
Meredith Hellicar, executive chairman of Merryck in Australia and New Zealand, says CEOs need to be prepared to make decisions without all the information to hand.

Nine strategies for CEO success

BOSS asks four of the country’s top executive coaches and advisers, who work behind the scenes for ASX 100 leaders, their top tips for attaining success.

  • Sally Patten

February 2021

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Revealed: how the pandemic changed the face of Australia’s CEOs

Of the CEOs appointed to ASX 200 companies last year, 71 per cent were internal appointments, up from 50 per cent in 2019.

  • Natasha Boddy

November 2020

Experts say the turmoil caused by the coronavirus crisis is the perfect training for those wanting to climb the corporate ladder.

Four things HR looks for when promoting leaders

Eager to climb the career ladder? HR bosses share the four things they look for in potential leaders.

  • Natasha Boddy and Sally Patten

October 2020

Woolworths and AGL director Diane Smith-Gander says succession planning is a "black art".

Inside the art of succession planning

The new focus on company culture, sudden CEO departures and major external shocks have highlighted the importance of grooming future leaders.

  • Sally Patten

April 2020

Many Ross, chief digital officer at Griffith University, says technology executives are well equipped to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

The path to CEO is with a CV in technology

The COVID-19 outbreak has put technology at the core of companies' efforts to keep operating, rather than just being a means for innovation and cost-cutting.

  • Sally Patten

October 2019

Andrew Mackenzie is a geoscientist with a specialty in petroleum research.

You've got to understand rocks if you want to run BHP

BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie believes his successor must have a detailed understanding of minerals and geology.

  • Peter Ker and Hans van Leeuwen

September 2019

Chief Executive Women president Sue Morphett, said that one of the problems facing women was that companies tended to promote people with longevity of service to senior positions.

ASX 200 firms leaving women out of top roles

Only two of the 25 chief executives appointed to an ASX 200 company over the past 12 months were female – and one of them was to a New Zealand company.

  • Sally Patten
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June 2019

Franchise Council of Australia CEO Mary Aldred has had several mentors, allowing her to take guidance from people of different ages.

The power of collective wisdom

Seeking the counsel of mentors of different ages helps Franchise Council chief Mary Aldred avoid a narrow range of feedback.

  • Luke Housego
Jade Little says leaders who acknowledge mistakes and are open to feedback build trust.

Leaders need to show a 'chink in the armour'

For Jade Little, real strength lies in acknowledging mistakes and being open to feedback.

  • Elouise Fowler
Jane Lu, founder and chief executive of Showpo.

'We laugh at ourselves, we accept mistakes'

Working as an accountant in her 20s helped Showpo chief Jane Lu decide what leadership styles she liked – and those she didn't.

  • Natasha Gillezeau
Cleanaway CEO Vik Bansal.

'I went to a good university and it meant nothing here'

Cleanaway chief Vik Bansal learnt rigorous thinking in his home country of India and resilience as a migrant to Australia.

  • Sally Patten
Marnie Baker

How Marnie Baker made it from milking shed to bank chief

Bendigo Bank's chief says studying and working in a regional area meant she wasn't a slave to management fads or trendy business theories.

  • James Frost

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/pathways-to-ceo-1n0w